If Peter O'Sullevan was for decades the voice of BBC television coverage of horse racing, its face for more than 30 years was the presenter Julian Wilson, who has died aged 73 of prostate cancer. With his immaculate appearance and patrician accent, Wilson's style seemed to underline the social stratification of racing, and he had forthright views on a variety of issues. Among these was the introduction in 1992 of Sunday racing, which Wilson vehemently opposed, prompting Clement Freud to observe: "Like a member of the Flat Earth Society, his views were constant and advertised: change was not an option."
Familiar in the role of frontman, Wilson took over as commentator when O'Sullevan was away, and regularly covered segments of the Grand National "out in the country". From his position at Becher's Brook he called many famous runnings of the race, most dramatically in 1973, when he described the sensational performance of Crisp, eventually outrun by Red Rum. His exultant cry as Crisp approached Becher's second time round "I can't remember a horse so far ahead in the Grand National at this stage" remains an indelible element of the soundtrack of racing history.
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